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| Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe |
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| Written by Edispilff | ||||||||
Page 1 of 3 Being a Rocky Mountain trapper for an average of 200 days a year, puts me under the stars for more time than most. After having axes lost (wetterling), stolen(gransfors), worn out(hardware store variety), and yes... even chewed/pecked on(damn woodpeckers in spring!), it was realized that a change may be in effect.Late Fall, Winter, and early Spring constituted the testing period for the Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe (FPCA from now on). Some of the duties required of this tool included: Firewood collection and felling of 'dead standing' beetle-kill trees (Ponderosa Pine, Pinion Pine, juniper) Primitive living quarters construction (Juniper, Pine, Aspen) Kindling splitting Small animal bone separation Chasing off curiously hungry black bears during evening hours Some relative specifics on the FPCA: -Handle is molded from a semi-hollow, fiber reinforced hardened nylon composite called 'nyglass' -Axe head is constructed of high carbon drop forged steel with an HRC of ~45 for the body and ~52-56 for the edge -Axe head total weight ~1.85 kg(2#) -Axe edge length ~10 cm(4.5 in.) -Handle weight ~.15 kg -Total length ~75 cm(28 in.) -Handle is molded through and around axe head, reinforcing -Fiskars lifetime warranty against loosening, separation, and handle breaking..blah blah -Axe head is coated with a PTFE based paint which aids in smoother low-friction cutting -Retail cost at time of purchase = $39.00 USD Some points I would like to make regarding the axe's 'pros' vs. 'cons'... PROS: -Excellent weight - swing - penetration ratio -Convenient orange colored handle facilitates easy location -Handle is 'virtually' unbreakable, will not rot, and requires zero maintenance. Palm butt at end of handle is well designed to prevent slipping -Comes sharp but takes an easily field-sharpened razor edge Head will never loosen under normal use (normal?) -You break it, they replace it CONS: - Head is hollow ground from top to bottom -defeats the purpose of non-stick coating because the ridges act as friction bands - Traditionalists will abhor the plastic handle - Stock holster/sheath is bulky and poorly designed - Orange paint on handle is more slippery than an eel in a bath tub filled with olive oil - Inexperienced users may find improper chopping techniques will lodge small chips/fibers between head and overmold. Now for a few photos and some descriptions on how the FPCA performed...
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